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Vault 45
Vault 42 is a large, semi-subterranean construction by Vault-Tec as a part of Project Safehouse in the California wastes built around 2073 before being occupied on the eve of the Great War. The Vault survived the Great War, but was nearly destroyed by an intentional defect that the construction crew and Vault-Tec had implemented as a part of Project Safehouses unethical Societal Preservation Program when it's nuclear core nearly detonated. Though the catastrophic possibility of a nuclear blast was avoided by the quick actions of a few brave souls, the radiation leaked into most of the Vault and forced the majority of the residents to evacuate to safer areas within the vault. Those unfortunate enough not to escape were transformed into Ghouls, killed by the high amounts of radiation and some even becoming Feral Ghouls from the intense radiation. After the majority of residents left the Vault, and years of an increasingly stagnant gene-pool leading to inbreeding, the Vault was finally opened to wastelanders 2214, some of these wastelanders being descended from old residents who had left the Vault years prior. Infighting quickly became common between many of the older residents of the Vault and the younger, hardened arrivals from the harsh wastes, and the Ghouls inside of the irradiated Vault Reactor attempting to attack residents in the relatively safe area of the Vault meant that the safety of both groups was put in danger. History Construction of the Vault began in 2071, during the tense years of the Battle of Anchorage, with healthy funding from local community programs due to fear of the war reaching the rest of the US. The Vault was built to be made up of 278 living quarters, 50 main offices, 35 eateries and diners, 10 security stations, and 4 administration and control areas, and was designed not only to be one of the largest Vaults, but also to be an advertisement, of sorts, to the surrounding area. The majority of the Vault was built into a mountain range and below, but some of it, namely the reactor areas and some living quarters, was built below a small town, ostensibly due to an oversight on Vault-Tec's part. After extensive surveying, the area was declared safe, though reports of sinkholes in the local area did cause concern for the local populace and Vault-Tec, mainly down to the fear that the whole town would collapse down on top the Vault. The Vault itself was designed with the same build as many of the regular Vaults, but differed slightly when the size of it's main reactor was brough to the table. Alongside smaller, back-up cores designed to prevent blackouts and brownouts within the Vault, the Vault also made use of a large nuclear reactor that Vault-Tec had advertised as 'the future of fusion power', and used as yet another promotional feature for it's Vault program. The addition of such a large reactor rose concerns with local contractors, mainly about safety, though Vault-Tec smoothed these worries out. However, Vault-Tec had intentionally intended for the reactor to indeed be a massive safety hazard, owing to it's Societal Preservation Program taken up recently with the Enclave, a secret, shadowy organization set up by the US government to ensure the survival, somewhat, of society's elite. A planned defect, designed to cause an explosion which would be triggered upon over-use of the reactor, was left within the Vault to see what effect it would have on the people within the Vault and whether or not they would attempt to remain in the, potentially, radioactive confines of their Vault or venture out of their domicile in search of better living space. On October 23rd 2077, the start of the Great War was signalled by alarms and frantic Vault-Tec holotape calls to the residents, advising the residents to get to the 'safety' of Vault 42. As the last few arrivals gathered in the atrium, fewer than expected due to the lack of fore-warning, and the giant steel door of the Vault sealed shut, the first explosions sounded. Once the bombs had done their damage, once all the explosions were silenced, the Vault dwellers finally realized that they were a part of the lucky and privileged few who had survived the apocalypse of the Great War. In the first few days following the Great War, the Vault's systems were maintained by a dedicated robotic force, maintained themselves by a smaller, human force, whilst the survivors recovered from their loss. The Overseer, having been appointed by Vault-Tec quickly prior to the Great War, conscripted numerous men and women for the Vault's security force, and set about giving instructions to the residents to begin submitting to various health checks and psychology exams, so as to determine their occupations for the Vault's benefit. Those still younger than 16 years old were to be educated within the Vault, and all 16 year old were required to take the General Occupational Aptitude Test so as to determine their occupations. Any elderly, toddlers or infants were to be looked after by the rest of the Vault, and to help out where it would allow them to help out, usually book clubs for the elderly and toy collections for the infants and toddlers. The Overseer planned to get the Vault operational as quickly as possible, as per demands from Vault-Tec prior to the nuclear holocaust, in order to remain on time for the Societal Preservation Program's study to be effectively carried out. As the days turned into weeks, the months turned into years, and the years turned into decades, the Vault residents began to settle into their new lives. The lives of the resident became a blur of Vault endorsed pro-creation, occupational work and the occasional after work leisure at the numerous diners hosting the even more numerous clubs and activities. This mundane way of life, occasionally intruded on by the odd interesting activity and event that was uncensored by the many Overseers and his or her administrations, kept the residents docile and complacent. To them, life outside the Vault was not just improbable, but non-existent. Their world was underground, and completely cut off from the harsh realities of the topside world ravaged by the nuclear war decades ago. A century came and went, and still the Vault's residents kept up their complacent existence, all the while still unaware of the Societal Preservation Program goal that threatened their lives and their safety. The reactor core was now entering the stages where minute traces of radiation were beginning to leak into the utility rooms and surrounding residential areas. Despite this, the engineers and the Overseer kept the problem of the reactor secret, until January 12th 2134. On January 12th 2134, the reactor finally gave way. Earth tremors created by the reactor alerted the Vault residents to the horrifying truth: that their Vault was in danger. Hours of rioting began as the Vault descended into chaos, some people rushing to the entrance, desperate to be let out, whilst the rest of the mob descended on the atrium of the Vault, demanding that the Overseer prevent the catastrophe that was about to befall them, despite this unrealistic expectation. The Overseer, after consulting his finest engineers and realizing that he would also be killed as a result of Vault-Tec's program, ordered numerous people within close proximity of the reactor to attempt a desperate quick-fix of the reactor that would, hopefully, save the Vault. These wretched residents weren't given much choice, as they found themselves sealed within the areas immediately next to the reactor. Their desperate attempts to stop the impending disaster of a nuclear explosion did succeed, but only after a high amount of radiation leaking out of the damaged reactor, now unable to generate power due to the extensive leakage. The area was sealed off permanently, and the survivors left behind in the irradiated quagmire of the reactor area. Meanwhile, the Overseer was faced with a rebellious populace that now wanted to escape the Vault entirely. This was only made worse when several of his own administrative staff revealed Vault-Tec's original plan to the many residents, who now felt that they had been both betrayed and abandoned by Vault-Tec, further enforcing their belief that their life would have to be moved to the surface if they had any hope of survival. Unable to rely on his own security force for protection, the Overseer, reluctantly and begrudgingly, ordered that the Vault doors open for 24 hours on 14th January 2014. Those who wanted to leave the Vault, a good half of it's populace, left and walked off into the wastes, confident of their decision and the new lives that awaited them. Those who stayed did so out of a fear and xenophobia of the outside world, either because of a fear of the intense radiation, local wildlife or native populace, human or otherwise. The then Overseer stepped down, abandoning his post, and leaving the stage set for a potential power struggle. This power struggle played out for over a year, with two parties, the Vault security chief and chief scientist, slandering each other, their own factions engaging in bitter infighting. An eventual successor to the position was acquired in the form of the Vault's chief scientist, with the agreement that a joint coalition of power hungry scientists and security officers would have a say in the Vault's affairs. Main Levels Residents Of Note Category:Location Category:Vaults